Saved By The Dark
by shiki94
Summary: Jeremiah Crane never should've let what Catrina said get to him the way it did. But as he sat and clutched at a reminder of his past with the dark madam, he couldn't help but let his past with Catrina resurface as he thought back to what led him into her dark embrace. Jeremiah CranexCatrina past/slight romance Rated M for heavy swearing and scenes of strong violence.


***walks over to plot bunny hutch* Be free, little baby plot bunny! *coughs* I suppose I should explain a bit about where the idea for this one-shot came from. On the newest episode of Lucha Underground (11/30/16), outside of Pentagon Dark having some damn good matches with the ladies that are in the Black Lotus Triad, there were a few cinematics that helped with propelling stories forward. And one of these cinematics came from Jeremiah Crane (Sami Callihan, as he's better known) having a confrontation with Catrina. Now, I thought it was fairly interesting for Catrina to even be approaching Jeremiah as I didn't even think he was on her radar. ...Then she mentioned some key things that helped show that he may have some prior history with her (such as him apparently still being in love with her _and_ the fact that he stole a piece of her rock). So, with how my crazy brain tends to gobble up the mythos that LU builds around a lot of their wrestlers, I felt like I just _had_ to write something for these two. ...Plus, if I didn't, the plot bunnies were just gonna go crazy until I wrote something. So, here's what I was able to put together for my newest ship. I hope that everyone that gives this a try enjoys it. =)**

 **(Now, I must advise that there are some moments of pretty graphic(ish) violence down in the one-shot, and there's quite a heavy amount of swearing going on. Just a heads-up.)**

 **(Disclaimer: I do not own any of the wrestlers used and/or mentioned in this fic. They are the properties of themselves, Lucha Underground, and the other promotions they wrestle for (in the cases of Jeremiah and Ivelisse). I only own the ideas going into this.)**

Groaning as he sat on the workout bench, Jeremiah Crane unconsciously raised his hand to touch his right cheek where he had been "blessed" with the Lick of Death from the Temple's resident mistress of darkness Catrina. He hadn't been expecting to see her _here_ of all places, so to be face to face with the woman that was such a big part of his past...it shook him fairly hard to his core. And if it wasn't for Catrina pointing out the stone on the necklace that wound around his neck, Jeremiah almost would've been able to keep his cool. ...Then there came the dark madam mentioning his current girlfriend Ivelisse Vélez and his feelings towards the Puerto Rican and that made the lead stone settling in his stomach sink almost down to his feet.

 _"You're not in love with Ivelisse. Because you're in love with_ me, _" Catrina smirked._

He honestly didn't want to agree with what she said, but deep down, somewhere in him...Jeremiah knew Catrina was right. After all, he wouldn't have summoned her to the Temple if he didn't have _something_ in the way of feelings for Catrina. He could still plain as day remember why it was that he harbored such feelings for her, and it all tied back to why he even had a piece of her rock adorning his necklace.

...

 _One Year Ago_

Jeremiah knew it was a bad idea to try to challenge those four guys at the bar to a fight. He felt that he could take them, but he wasn't exactly counting on any of those bastards pulling out brass knuckles and nearly beating him to death. Staggering through the alleyway as he clutched his side, the brunette leaned against a wall as his breathing slowed down and got heavy.

His head resting against the brick wall that was holding him up, Jeremiah looked up at the starry night sky before he leaned over and coughed and spat out some blood, a weak laugh escaping his lips. _'Fuck! Can't believe this is how I go. Getting the shit beat out of me, and maybe having my body found in this alley. Man, I wish I could've made those fuckers pay. ...But, oh well. I've lived an okay life,'_ Jeremiah thought as he closed his eyes, unaware of the dark reddish purple glow that slowly approached him.

 _"What a shame. A man like you practically clinging to his life,"_ a female voice said.

Hearing this voice, Jeremiah looked in the direction of the voice to see that the source was a woman, and a quite beautiful woman at that. She had dark brown almost black hair that went down to her shoulders with bangs that covered her forehead, and was dressed in a sleeveless top, leather pants, and boots, all of her clothing black.

"Who? Who are you?" Jeremiah got out.

"Me? My name is of no real importance right now," the woman replied. "For now, you can think of me as the answer to what it is that you want."

"To what I...want?" Jeremiah asked.

What looked to be a smirk crossing her face, the woman answered "To get back at those that have done you harm. To make them pay for wounding you so severely."

"Really? _You_...can help _me_?" Jeremiah asked. "Lady, I don't know if you've noticed, but I ain't got the strength in me to go on. The way I am now, pretty much all I can do is just keel over and die."

"Oh, but you don't have to," the woman said. Seeing that she had the man's attention, the woman reached around to her back pocket and produced something wrapped in a dark red cloth. Unwrapping this mysterious object, she revealed it to be a large stone.

"A rock? You're gonna help me with a fucking rock?" Scoffing at how ridiculous this all seemed, Jeremiah rolled his eyes at this. "Some help you were. Now, why don't you take your pretty little rock and just go away so that I can die in peace."

"But if I were to do that, then you'd be without the thing that could help you," the woman said. Now having the man's attention back on her, the woman broke of a piece of her rock and closed her hand around the piece.

As Jeremiah watched this happen, he honestly wasn't sure what to make of any of it. From the breaking of her rock to the gripping it in her hand to the way the woman's eyes now seemed to glow red in the night, Jeremiah couldn't seem to believe any of what was happening. His surprise was added on to even more when he saw the woman open her hand and he saw the same piece of rock, only now it was held by a silver cage to a beaded chain. "Wow," Jeremiah could finally say. "That was some magic trick."

A light chuckle escaping her, the woman said "That was nothing. Just wait until you try it on."

"You're actually giving me free jewelry? You must really pity a dying dumbass like me," Jeremiah let out a weak laugh.

"Fear not. All you have to do is put this on, and...," another chuckle escaped the woman. "Well, let's just say that once you have it on, you won't be at death's door for much longer."

Jeremiah honestly couldn't even begin to try to figure out what all of this could mean. All he could sort out was that, thanks to some hocus pocus he couldn't follow, he was now being offered a free necklace from this mystery woman. While there were parts of him that were saying not to take it, the brunette decided instead to take the enchanted jewelry. _'Besides, if it means I can live on to find those fuckers and kick their asses, then what's the harm?'_ Jeremiah thought. "OK, lady. You got yourself a deal. Give me the stone."

Smirking, the woman walked over to Jeremiah and hooked the necklace around his neck. Standing back to admire her handiwork, the woman said "Now, _that_ looks a lot better."

The brunette man was almost set to say something before, the next thing he knew, a burning sensation coursed through his body that seemed to originate from his new jewelry. Falling to and writhing on the ground as an agonized scream escaped his body, Jeremiah could just barely manage to raise his head and look over to the woman, whose smirk seemed to be covering her face now.

"Do not worry, my sweet prince. This pain will only be temporary. Then, once it is over, you will be as good as new." Her smirk softening into something along the lines of a smile, the woman said "And, just for the record, my name...is Catrina."

Her name, Catrina, was all Jeremiah heard before he fell unconscious, unable to take the pain any longer.

...

Watching on as Jeremiah writhed in pain in front of her, Catrina just stood back with a largely calm look on her smiling face. Her consort Mil Muertes had failed her once again, and she felt it would be best to find a new consort. So, it was quite lucky that the dark madam found this man, practically on death's door. And now that he had accepted the gift of part of her stone, she just knew that she had him in her power now. Seeing that the man's pain seemed to be gone now, Catrina commanded "Now. Wake up. Wake up, and experience your new life."

The burning in his body having completely gone, Jeremiah sat up, feeling-dare he even think it- _better_. He still wasn't quite sure what the hell even just happened, but all he knew now was that he was feeling better than he ever had before. Standing up from the ground, Jeremiah looked down at his hands and then rubbed his body, only to feel no pain whatsoever. "This is... This is crazy. How...how am I-"

"You needn't ask any more questions," Catrina interrupted. With Jeremiah's attention on her, Catrina explained. "My stone has healed you, and given you new life."

"So, you're saying that I'm basically all patched up?" Jeremiah asked. Getting a nod as his answer, Jeremiah let out a laugh as he clenched and unclenched his fists. "Sweet. Thanks a lot, Catrina."

"No thanks are needed. I only gave you what it is that you wanted," Catrina grinned. "Now that you're completely healed, you can exact your revenge on the very people that left you at death's door."

"Now, that...that's what I'm talking about, Catrina," Jeremiah felt an evil grin start to split his face, the thought of getting his revenge starting to sound pretty damn great to him right now.

...

The quartet of drunks were still celebrating beating up the dumbass that thought he could take them on. It was almost too easy once they had all got their weapons out and ready and laid into him. It was a shame, though, really. If he wasn't so keen on trying to take them all on, he probably would've made a fine addition to their group. They had gotten a little ways closer to where the alley met the main sidewalk when the sight of a woman in all black leaning against the wall caught their eye.

Letting out a low whistle, one of the men, who was bald, said "Hey there, pretty lady. You want to come party with me?"

Looking at the man, the woman scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "You only wish. Besides, I don't have time to waste with a drunk like you. I already have someone."

"Oh, come on. Don't be like that," the bald pressed on. "What your man don't know won't hurt him. Besides, I could show you a better time than whoever you're with."

"Really?" the woman said around a chuckle. "Well. Why don't you turn around and tell him that yourself?"

Feeling slightly confused by what the woman was talking about, the man and his flunkies all turned around only to see a face that made their blood run cold and seemed to freeze them to where they were standing.

"Hey there, fellas," Jeremiah smirked with a wave. "You miss me?"

That was all the bald man and his friends heard before getting taken down with punches from the man that they not too long ago beat up. The bald man could only stand and watch in horror as, one by one, his friends had fallen to the ground, sure to be unconscious all thanks to the person that they thought they had beaten to a bloody pulp. With the last of his friends now lying on the ground, the bald man backed away in fear. "P-P-Please. Please don't hurt me! I'll give you whatever you want! Just...please, let me live!"

"Whatever I want, huh?" Jeremiah repeated.

"Yeah, yeah! Whatever you want!" the bald man nodded, a slight swell of pathetic hope trying to rise within him.

"Hmm..." Jeremiah began as he tapped his chin as though he had to think about it. "How's about...you let me beat the shit out of you?"

That was all the bald man heard before getting knocked out by a punch to his nose from the brunette.

Surveying the handiwork before her, Catrina pushed herself off of the wall and walked over to where Jeremiah was slightly panting, his fists covered with the blood of the men that tried to take him down. "Well done, Jeremiah. You seem to have taken quite a liking to the necklace I have given you."

"What can I say, Cat?" Jeremiah smirked as he raised a hand to touch the stone that sat beneath the base of his throat. "This necklace of yours gave me power enough to do what I did to those guys."

"Think nothing of it. After all, _you_ were the one that wanted to get your revenge on them. I merely gave you the tools necessary to reach that end," Catrina smirked.

"And, I guess I oughta say Thanks for this," Jeremiah couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. "If there's anything I can do to repay you for this-"

" _Actually_. There is something you can do," Catrina cut in. Seeing the questioning look on the other man's face, Catrina said "Come with me. Do that and I'll teach you how to best control the power that my stone can give you."

This offer only caught Jeremiah slightly offguard before hearing Catrina mention that her stone could possibly give him _more_ power than what he already tapped into. And if he could get even stronger than he already was, well that...that just souned too good to possibly pass up. "OK, Catrina. I'll join up with you. If it means that your necklace could possibly make me even stronger than I already feel like I am, then...I'm in."

"I like the sound of that. Welcome, Jeremiah Crane." That was all Catrina said before leaning in and planting a kiss squarely on the brunette man's lips, one that was both surprised and delighted to feel Jeremiah return. As she stayed in this liplock, all Catrina could think about was how she could possibly strengthen Jeremiah into the consort that she needed; and on his end, all Jeremiah could think...was that he would forever be grateful to the woman that saved him, and gave him new life.

...

 _Present Day_

Shaking this memory from his head, Jeremiah stood from the bench as he walked over to the punching bag that was hanging up. As he took a few punches at it, Jeremiah did his best to tell himself that what Catrina said wasn't true anymore. He had moved on from her. And, he was happy with Ivelisse now. So what if he still wore the necklace she gave him that had part of her stone in it? That didn't mean _anything_. All that mattered to Jeremiah was that he was happy with the woman he was with now. ...And no amount of dark temptation or seduction would ever sway him from loving his girl, from loving his Ivelisse.

 **And thus ends Saved By The Dark. Now, is this the best possible one-shot that could explain the past that Jeremiah and Catrina have? ...Mmm, probably not. But, I feel that given that we don't know the real extent of their relationship yet, this is at the very least a pretty nice little speculation-type one-shot. And, *shrugs* who knows? Maybe we'll find out more about the past Jeremiah and Catrina have in the coming weeks. We'll just have to stay tuned to Lucha Underground and find out. And, so as I end this, I would just like to say thanks to everyone that gave this a read. Don't forget to R &R please, and I'll see you in my next updates and/or ?-shot. *waves* Laters, and good reading! =)**

 **(One last thing *le shiki94 promotion of a friend's work goes here*: One of my good friends here, StarshineGoomba, is working her way back into writing after some personal stuff sidelined her from writing for a spell. She just recently updated one of her stories, Bad Things, and I recommend you go give it a try if you want something good featuring Bayley and Sami Zayn together in it. =) )**


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